ABSTRACT
In his essay on Winslow Homer’s Adirondack figures, David Tatham explores the manner by which the works of this celebrated “objective realist” consistently reveal both more and less than what the artist actually observed. Tatham’s discussion is grounded in formal analysis of the paintings and careful consideration of available evidence regarding the artist’s work habits, Adirondack topography, common hunting practices, and the actual identities of the woodsmen represented.
Rather than casting these men in their customary role as professional aides to vacationing sportsmen, Tatham argues that the guides, trappers, and hunters represented in Homer’s Adirondack scenes are instead portrayed as rugged individualists for whom the wilderness is a natural habitat. This body of work is then linked to an evolving cultural climate shaped by late Victorian melancholy and the impact of diverse ideas, from Darwinism to aestheticism. Tatham characterizes Homer’s vision of the Adirondacks as a powerful combination of accurate, gripping detail placed in the service of communicating larger truths about the meaning of the wilderness and the elemental forces of nature.
